Cimcorp reports growing customer demand for cybersecurity in distribution center automation

Cimcorp, a provider of robotic handling technologies, reports that companies are placing greater emphasis on cybersecurity when selecting warehouse automation suppliers and offerings.

The company said that as distribution centers become increasingly software-driven, customers are expanding their evaluation criteria to include cyber resilience, disaster recovery and business continuity capabilities alongside traditional measures of system performance. Cimcorp said that this shift is evident in industries such as food and grocery distribution, where automation plays a critical role in maintaining supply chain reliability.

Cybersecurity concerns on the rise in warehouse automation

Historically, Cimcorp said that cybersecurity discussions in industrial environments focused on compliance and basic system protection. But now, the company said that customers want to understand how automation suppliers can support business continuity and recovery planning.

“Today, companies are looking beyond traditional system performance and availability. They want to understand how operations can continue and recover if a cyber incident occurs,” said Antti Olenius, team lead, system management at Cimcorp. “The consequences of a cyber incident can extend far beyond the distribution center itself. In the food industry, delays can affect product availability, create waste, and disrupt the supply chain. That is why business continuity planning has become such an important topic.”

Software has become business-critical infrastructure

Cimcorp said that the changing role of cybersecurity is closely linked to the growing importance of software in warehouse operations. Modern warehouse control systems (WCS) coordinate material flows, inventory movements and automation equipment across the distribution center. As a result, the company said that software has become a critical operational layer connecting physical automation with business processes.

As automation environments become increasingly connected, data-driven, and integrated with broader business systems, Cimcorp said that software resilience is becoming a prerequisite for operational resilience.

“The WCS has effectively become the operational backbone of the distribution center,” said Juho Nässi, product manager, services at Cimcorp. “When software orchestrates the entire material flow, resilience becomes just as important as performance. If critical systems become unavailable, operations can quickly slow down or stop.”

Resilience as a competitive advantage

Cimcopr added that organizations are now recognizing that cyber resilience must be built into automation environments from the beginning rather than added later. Secure architectures, network segmentation, continuous monitoring, lifecycle management and tested recovery procedures all contribute to maintaining operational continuity.

“Cyber resilience is strongest when security is designed into the solution from day one,” Nässi said. “Organizations that invest in proactive monitoring, maintenance and recovery capabilities are better prepared to minimize disruptions and maintain performance when unexpected situations occur.”

Looking ahead, Cimcorp said that it expects cybersecurity requirements to continue growing as automation platforms become more connected and cloud-enabled.

“In the future, distribution centers will not only compete on throughput and efficiency,” Olenius added. “They will also compete on resilience and their ability to keep goods moving when disruptions occur.”